Why Basel makes for a vibrant weekend getaway?

Slipping away for a weekend getaway may seem like something of the past, but we’re sure, given time, travel will return. And when it does it’s worth having your travel bucket list ready. 

Basel, Switzerland has a population of less than 200,000 and an area of 23.91 km². It’s a small city with lots going on which makes it the perfect destination for a vibrant weekend getaway.

Basel can please a wide range of travellers with different tastes and interests. There is something for everyone!

Culture vulture

As hosts to the international Basel Art fair, Basel has long been a fixture on the map of culture vultures. But you don’t have to restrict your visit to the art fair, Basel has 37 museums, pretty impressive given the size of the town.  

Don’t miss the Tinguely Museum, a celebration of the artist Jean Tinguely’s particular brand of bizarre Frankenstein-esque moving sculptures. Even museum-adverse children will love the Tinguely museum.

Take a tram to the Fondation Beyler museum for an art experience that takes itself seriously. They have an excellent permanent collection and a lively rotation of topical exhibitions.

Art’s not the only thing going on in Basel though, pandemic permitting the Musikhalle holds regular concerts, musicals and shows.

Basel hosts a plethora of festivals and events throughout the year. From the wild and noisy Fastnacht to DJ’d techno parades to fairs with roasted chestnuts and hair-raising rides, it’s well worth checking out what’s happening and when, before you book your trip.

Absorbing architecture

The old city features attractive cobbled streets to stroll around. The winding streets have lots of secrets to stumble upon, and you’ll find lots of attractive visual details to pick up on such as water fountains, hidden courtyards and architecture dating back to the 15th century. 

Interesting buildings to visit include the red brightly painted Rathaus, and the Romanesque/ Gothic cathedral overlooking the Rhine known as Basler Munster.

Basel has interesting contrasts between modern and historic. As well as the old town the city has a plethora of contemporary buildings designed by architectural giants such as Frank O. Gehry, Mario Botta and Richard Meier. 

If you follow the Pritzker Architecture Prize, you’ll be impressed to find out 12 winners of the prizes have buildings in Basel. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another city in Europe with the same density of acclaimed contemporary architecture alongside such a well preserved old town.

Don’t miss the soaring Roche tower, the Gehry Vitra campus, Bis and the Messe Basel also known as ‘window to the heavens’.

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A river runs through it

The Rhine runs through Basel creating a dynamic and magical ambience. Think fine dining watching the river flow by, hipster hangouts spots on the footpaths, a riverside sauna, and a kid-friendly no-power riverboat crossing.  

You can discover interesting river specific features such as historical bridges replete with quirky sculptures, and the paper mill where you can see how paper used to be made with water power.

There are footpaths all along the river, often on both sides, with only a few gaps. With a little planning, you can combine a riverside walk with visiting other places of interest. Look out for birds on your walk, even though you’re in a city, you can spot bright flashes of Kingfishers, cheerful Chiffchaffs, and pretty Serins. Along the riverbank, you can see Grey and White wagtails, and occasionally Mandarin ducks, Grey Herons, or an Egyptian Goose. In summer you might spot a Hobby speeding past and all year round look for the Peregrines that nest on the incinerator tower near the French border.

In the summer, you can watch Baselites swimming and floating downstream, or don your swimsuit and join in. Check with locals where the safe swimming spots are before heading into the water.

Proximity to nature

If you fancy a day trip as an escape from the city then Basel is very well placed. Furthermore, the excellent easy to use transport system really comes into its own, because you can access the surrounding countryside and nearby cities very easily without having to rent a car.

Dornach is a small town just a short train ride from Basel. In Dornach, you can go beaver spotting along the Birs river or head up the hill to the right angle-less Goetheanum – the centre of Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophical movement.

The black forest is near Basel, exploring the area you can discover lots of pretty villages, rolling hills, castles and mountains. 

You can visit the alps from Basel. In winter, a day of snowboarding or ski-ing is possible if you’re willing to get up early. Interlaken makes for a good day trip to the alps.

If you want to get your Swiss lake fix then a day trip to lake Lucerne is well within reach.

Lastly, don’t forget Basel’s location. Nestled in the northeastern corner of Switzerland you can easily pop over the border to both Germany and France.

Foodie fun

Switzerland isn’t the place you first associate with exotic edible adventures, however, Basel has a growing foodie scene.

Basel had a vegan restaurant more than a decade before veganism was trending, and they now have a growing international restaurant scene, with Vietnamese, Indian and Lebanese restaurants among others to be found in the city.

The new Markhalle has a huge range of pop up stalls serving international cuisine from places such as Venezuela, Japan, Vietnam, China, Afghanistan, South Africa and Japan.

Basel also has several signature dishes begging to be sampled. Don’t miss the moorish flavourful Basler Läckerli, the warming Basler Mehlsuppe and Ueli beer made in Basel’s own microbrewery.

A vibrant city

Basel makes for a vibrant city getaway with architecture, art, theatre, music, food and nature to discover over a weekend or a week for that matter. Why not start planning your trip right away?